When every last bit of turkey has been stewed, curried, and sandwiched, the Christmas decorations are back in their box and the New Year’s Eve ‘bongs’ are a distant memory, it’s not unusual to feel a bit deflated… but fear not! Help is at hand!
The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doors, doorways, archways and openings of various sorts – a god known for his ability to turn one face to reflect on the past and the other to look to the future…. and so, as January marks the start of the new year, it’s time to turn your attention to the year ahead. Here are ten great ways to kick start the new year and stay positive.
1. Out With the Old: Time to Declutter
‘Tidy house, tidy mind’ as the old saying goes, so get rid of unwanted clothes and other belongings you’re never going to use – recycle them, throw them in the local charity bin or sell them online; sort out your paperwork; spring clean… basically, get your life in order – you’ll feel much better once it’s done!
2. Reset the Clock
After all those Christmas lie ins and late nights, it’s not surprising your body is suffering from some kind of Christmas version of jet lag! Readjusting your sleeping patterns by going to bed and getting up at regular times will fix you in no time!
3. Attention Please!
Take time to think about the areas in your life that need attention and do something about it! We’re talking small changes here – don’t make unrealistic plans that will just leave you disappointed when you don’t achieve them. Whether it’s to do with your job, house, car or relationships with friends or family, work out what you want to achieve and go for it.
4. Move It
Time to exercise… yes, I can hear the groans right now, but even if you’ve already dipped in your new ‘healthy regime’, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just try and find something you like doing – it might sound obvious, but if you don’t like it, you’re not going to stick to it! Even if it’s something as small as going for a 30-minute brisk walk in your lunch break, taking the stairs instead of the lift or even dancing around your kitchen while you’re cooking, it’s better than nothing. Just get moving! You’ll have that ‘feel good’ factor in no time.
5. Plan your Getaway
With a couple of months left of dark nights, what better time to start flicking (or clicking) through those holiday brochures? (Well, we would say that, wouldn’t we?!) Get your next holiday organised now so that there’s no stress sorting it out nearer the time – you could save money by booking early too – plus, it’ll give you something to look forward to later in the year.
6. Take Time Out
January is a time when social calendars tend to be a bit on the empty side, so make the most of it. Take time to treat yourself: buy yourself something with the vouchers or cash you received for Christmas or enjoy reading a book in a long, hot bath full of the bubble bath you got for Christmas.
7. Do Something Different
Now is the time to do something you’ve always wanted to do: start a new hobby, learn a different language or learn a new skill – think of all those things you’ve said “I’ve always wanted to ….” about, and see which ones you can realistically achieve. It could be something fun, something extreme or something less intense… it’s up to you to make it happen!
8. Embrace the Darkness… and the Light!
If you work indoors all day, take whatever opportunity you can to get outside during the daylight hours. Research shows that experiencing the ‘great outdoors’ has benefits on our health and wellbeing, so get outside and breathe in the fresh air. When darkness falls – and it IS getting later, gradually – make the most of the season by staying cosied up on the dark nights and watch all those DVDs or read the books you got for Christmas.
9. Save Money/Make Money
With bank balances a little lighter following the festivities, make the most of free activities such as walks or reading and save money by inviting friends round for drinks instead of going out. As this is the time of year to ‘declutter’ (see No. 1), you can make a bit of extra money by selling all those things you don’t want or need any more. There’s sure to be loads of things hiding in your drawers and cupboards that you don’t use any more, or clothes you haven’t worn for ages, and, as the saying goes, ‘your trash is someone else’s treasure’. Make use of sites like eBay or visit your local car boot sale – someone out there might just be looking for what you’ve got.
10. Escape!
If you can’t wait ’til summer, why not make the most of what this season has to offer? The scenery of Austria and Italy are especially wonderful at this time of year, so take a holiday in January and get the year off to a great start!
Well, there’s our list of suggestions… let us know how you get on. And if you have any other suggestions of your own, be sure to let us know!
Lots of nice ideas here and its reassuring to know that I’m not the only one to suffer the January slump!